The invention concerns a guide link for the displacement of the sliding panel relative to a roof opening in a slide-and-lift roof construction for motor vehicles according to the precharacterizing clause of claim 1.
Guide links of this kind are known in various embodiments and with differently formed guide slots in their end areas (see, e.g. DE-AS 16 05 960, DE 35 29 118 C1, DE 44 05 742 C1). A situation is also known whereby the sliding panel, lowered at the rear edge into sliding position, is prevented by holding-down devices during slide-to-close movements from being displaced upwards at its rear edge under the effect of the drive elements as long as the sliding panel is still situated under the rear solid roof area. These holding-down devices are situated for this purpose between the floor of the guide rail and a flange of the guide rail situated perpendicular to this, the holding-down device being in sliding contact with this flange from below during slide-to-close movements. The holding-down device in constructions of this kind is permanently connected to the sliding panel or to a part permanently attached to the panel. It can be attached directly to the free rear end of the guide link.
In guide links whose rear guide slot areas have a steep upward course, typically in the form of an upward, concave quarter circle, the inserting of the guide pin into this rear guide slot area creates a rapid lowering movement of the guide links on each side and the sliding panel permanently connected to these under the effect of the weight of these parts. This rapid, abrupt lowering movement is completed when panel-side parts participating in the movement meet relatively stationary parts of the slide-and-lift sunroof construction, for example when the holding-down device strikes the floor of the guide rail. This produces a very annoying impact noise which can irritate the vehicle user and suggests malfunction or maladjustment of the slide-and-lift sunroof construction. Padding of the holding-down devices has brought no effective remedy.
This invention prevents these impact noises, or at least reduces them so effectively that they are no longer experienced as irritating.